The Irish government will decide by the end of December whether to allow abortions in the republic and under which circumstances they will be permitted.

Ireland's health minister James Reilly promised that there would be a full debate on abortion in the Dáil before the coalition made a final decision.

"I'm confirming that the government decision will be made on this before the end of December and implemented in the early new year," Reilly said today.

The abortion issue has been thrown into sharp focus in Ireland following the death last month of Indian dentist Savita Halappanavar in a Galway hospital. She had repeatedly asked for an emergency termination but was refused, according to her husband, because the medical team detected a foetal heart. She was 17 weeks pregnant when she died of blood poisoning.

A 58-page expert report, which recommends several options allowing for abortion in limited circumstances, was published today.

The report was drawn up after the European Court of Human Rights ordered Ireland to review its abortion ban following a legal challenge by three people known only as A, B and C. The report was also published in response to a court judgement 20 years ago on the so-called X case, in which Irish supreme court judges ruled that abortions could be carried out if the mother's life was in danger.

It is understood that many backbenchers in the main coalition party, Fine Gael, will oppose any moves to allow for risk of suicide as a reason for allowing abortions to be carried out in Irish hospitals.